Forged In Fire, Stilled In Glass

In conversation with TMS, artist Hemi Bawa shares her journey, and talks about making glass art, the process behind it, and using glass as a medium - despite the fragility of the material

- PANKIL JHAJHRIA

It was in the late 1980s that artist Hemi Bawa travelled to Europe, and she came across the sculptures at St. Martin's in London. Having been inspired by the versatility of the fragile medium, Hemi went on to further explore cast glass in workshops outside the city. Upon her return to India, she imported her own furnace, set up a studio in Faridabad's industrial zone, and started working with recycled windshields, toughened glass, and locally available materials.

Some of those grand sculptures made by Bawa, over a period of three decades, are on display at her ongoing exhibition 'Stories... in Glass', at Travancore Palace in New Delhi. Curated by Dr. Kristine Michael, with artistic direction by Ashwini Pai Bahadur, it will be on display from October 3 to 13.